Creating partnerships in dementia care: A Changing Melody

Toolkit

A Changing Melody  is not like other conferences, it’s a forum designed by and for persons with early-stage dementia and their family partners in care. The toolkit helps individuals, groups, and/or organizations plan and implement their own forums.

The A Changing Melody toolkit:

• identifies the key principles that should guide the planning of your forum
• identifies the need for full partnership with persons with dementia and provides practical suggestions for enabling these relationships
• provides suggestions on how to assemble a planning committee
• provides examples of forum topics and themes relevant to persons with dementia
• offers practical logistical advice for planning your forum
• provides examples of ways to incorporate the arts and other creative showcases to highlight accomplishments and continued abilities of persons with dementia and connect with the emotional side of the dementia journey
• provides ways to advertise and market your forum
• identifies a number of potential challenges that planning committees may face and offers practical solutions to address these challenges
• identifies the personal and potential societal impacts of forums designed specifically for persons with dementia and their partners in care based on a number of years of systematic research
• provides helpful resources for planning your forum including templates for forum posters, brochures and manuals, and a forum timeline and comprehensive checklist to ensure that your committee remains on-track during the planning process

DVDs

There are two DVDs available to purchase:

2011 International A Changing Melody Forum

This DVD set contains presentations from the 2011 International A Changing Melody Forum. Presentations by the following persons with dementia, family partners in care and professionals supporting those living with dementia, are highlighted:

• Christine Bryden – Stigma and Fear
• Russ Belleville – The Stigma of Dementia
• Loretta Loon – Coping with Stigma and Fear in the Aboriginal Community
• Mary McKinlay – Adapting to Change
• Dr. Mitchell Slutzky – Top 10 Strategies for Adapting to Dementia
• Cathie Borrie & Patricia Bower – Enabling Persons with Dementia
• Agnes Houston – Creating Strong Partnerships

2005 A Changing Melody Forum

This DVD set contains presentations from the 2005 A Changing Melody Forum. It is a compilation of the inspirational speakers including persons living with dementia, family partners in care and other care partners discussing topics related to the theme “Taking Control of Our Lives”. This is an excellent tool for support groups and other opportunities to enhance knowledge and understanding about the continued capabilities and strength of persons living with dementia.

Order Copies

A Changing Melody toolkit ($80.50 CDN) and DVDs ($30.50 CDN per set) are available for purchase. Please contact us for details.